The Lion King, a film of sorrow and revenge, focuses on the prince of the Pridelands, Simba. Simba, the son of Mufasa(King of the Pridelands), is a mischievous lion cub that gets caught in a stampede incident; which, results in the death of his father. He believes he is to blame for his father’s death, but he is not. Mufasa’s death is the work of Simba’s vile uncle, Scar. Since the making of this film, many people have compared this movie to the shakespearean tragedy, Hamlet. Though the two works share surface-level similarities in plot and characterization, when comparing themes and structure, The Lion King and Hamlet are fundamentally different.
The Lion King and Hamlet have undeniably similar plots; however, Hamlet ends vastly different
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than The Lion King. The plot of The Lion King follows as such: Scar uses a deceptive plan to murder Mufasa unbeknownst to Simba, but afterward blames Mufasa’s death on Simba. Even though Simba is in line to be king, Scar exiles Simba and takes the throne for himself. As Simba runs away out of sheer terror, he encounters a distant jungle where he meets two characters, Timon and Pumba. While living here, he grows up in a limbo-like state, learning to abandon responsibilities, instead accepting an unconcerned lifestyle, indifferent to ideas of royalty from his past. Although Simba ignored his past, he feels a bit hopeless, and that he is missing part of himself somewhere. The ghost of Simba’s father then visits him to recalculate his purpose, and although at first in denial that the kingdom could be so bad, Simba’s suspicions are confirmed when he finally returns to his home. He punishes Scar and brings the kingdom back into order, accepting the role of king. Moving on to Hamlet’s plot, we begin with the murder of Late Hamlet by a suspected Claudius, also the uncle of Hamlet. The Lion King begins relatively the same way, and although the kings in each story were killed differently, the uncle’s used means of trickery and deceit to commit each murder. Immediately following this though, Claudius crowned himself King, and married Hamlet’s mother Gertrude. In the Lion King, it isn’t obviously evident if Scar married, or wanted to marry Sarabi (Simba’s mother), but he did expect her and other lionesses to provide food for the kingdom. In this aspect then, we can say that Scar metaphorically married Sarabi, and is similar to Claudius marrying Gertrude because they both expect some entitlement from the two female characters. Hamlet was angry at Gertrude because he believed that she married too quickly, and along with being visited by the ghost of his father, he went into a mental hiatus, confining himself to a confused, unmotivated state. He was of course, unsure of how truthful the ghost could be, because of the idea that the ghost describes a purgatory-like environment and wants revenge in order to make it to heaven. But after Hamlet views Claudius’ uneasiness during the revised play, The Mousetrap, his suspicions of his father’s murder are confirmed. In an attempt to set the kingdom back to the way it should be, Hamlet causes many, including his own, deaths, and gives the throne to Fortinbras, whom he was in conflict with throughout the play. We can now see that the beginning of the Lion King and Hamlet have many similarities, but the ending of the plots are different. Although certain characters in The Lion King possess similar attributes to those of Hamlet, they do not remain consistent throughout the duration of the stories.
In the beginning of the movie Simba is a free-spirited lion cub that has not a care in the world. An example of his carefree personality is: Simba takes Nala to the elephant graveyard, disregarding what his father told him about the kingdom’s boundaries. The instance of disobeying his father, even out of curiosity, shows that Simba is not concerned with the outcome of his actions. This happy-go-lucky feeling leaves Simba, as he witnesses his father’s death. Mufasa’s body lies still on the earth and Simba joins his father on the ground, beginning to sob. In this single moment Simba is no longer carefree, it’s almost as if he loses his innocence. Like Simba, Hamlet faces emotional distress as he too, loses his father. Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, comments on the appearance of her woeful son, “Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted color off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. Do not forever with thy vailèd lids seek for thy noble father in the dust . . . (1.2.70-73).” Gertrude is telling Hamlet to put away his mourning clothes and welcome the newly appointed king(his Uncle Claudius). She also says that Hamlet cannot grieve his father’s death forever. The words Gertrude speaks to Hamlet help convey the emotions he is feeling: sorrow and denial. As the stories unfold both Hamlet and Simba receive visits from their deceased fathers, which causes each of them to have an emotional shift. The ghost of Old Hamlet tells his son there has been an unjust murder. Hamlet is greatly intrigued and urges his father to tell him more information, hoping to avenge the death. Previously Hamlet was in utter despair, due to the loss of his father, but the notion of an unjust murder drives Hamlet to seek revenge. In The Lion King, Mufasa’s ghost encourages Simba to reclaim what is his and bring liveliness back to the
Pridelands, but not to the extent of murder. Following the visit from his father, Simba finds his purpose(becoming king) and is overcome with a sense of courage. The instances where each of the fathers visit their sons leads to the division of the emotional symmetry, between Hamlet and Simba. Hamlet’s emotional path now focuses solely on avenging his father’s death, by planning to murder his uncle. Meanwhile, Simba focuses on restoring the kingdom his father once ruled. The shift that occurs between Hamlet and Simba is evident in the emotions that Scar(Simba’s Uncle) and Claudius face, as well. Scar and Claudius are power-hungry brothers that do the inevitable, in order to satisfy themselves. They kill their brothers, the kings, out of jealousy and spite. In a soliloquy Claudius reveals his criminal act, “A brother’s murder. Pray can I not… My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent, … (3.3.42-44)” In the third act Claudius comes to grips with the fact that he has committed one of the oldest offences, murdering a sibling. He wishes to pray, whilst searching for forgiveness, to rid him of his guilt. Unlike Claudius, Scar does not seek forgiveness. When Scar and Simba are fighting in the last scenes of the film, Scar does not apologize for the death of his brother. Instead, he embraces it as he faces his nephew in battle, up until the moment of his own death. Though these certain characters share mere emotions, that does not make the characterization one of the same. When exploring the deeper connections between The Lion King and Hamlet, we can see that their themes, structures, and tones differ to reveal essentially different stories. The well known theme of The Lion King, is the idea that running away from the past will not keep troubles away. They can find a way to affect us and we must learn to face our fears. Although, relatively harder to find, the underlying theme of Hamlet is the certainty of action. We can see this theme in the beginning of the play when Late Hamlet’s ghost approaches young Hamlet to tell him what he needs to do in the kingdom. The ghost of Hamlet says that he is confined to walk in a purgatory-like environment “Till the foul crime done in my days of nature Are burnt and purged away,” (1.5, 17-18) The contradictory act of Hamlet seeking revenge for Late Hamlet, when he is already in Hell to serve punishment for his living crimes, causes major upset and distrust of action in Hamlet. He is unsure whether he can trust this ghost, and doesn’t want to make any claims on Claudius when he is so indecisive, furthering the idea of a certainty of action as a major theme. The structures of the two stories also differed in their nature. In both The Lion King and Hamlet, the expositions are very similar in that the King’s death, and the character conflicts are revealed. But the conflicts are where they differ. In The Lion King, we learn that Simba’s overall conflict is growing up into adulthood and accepting the responsibilities that occur with adulthood. The climax is obviously the brawl between Simba and Scar, and the resolution is when Simba takes the throne and restores the kingdom to its former health. The conflict for Hamlet is the struggle with indicating the authenticity of his father’s supposed ghost, and in that, the struggle to avenge his father’s death. The climax in Hamlet is most appropriately when Hamlet sees Claudius revealing in the chapel that he regrets murdering his brother, and Hamlet finally has confirmation of his former agitating questions of the ghost, and of if he would kill Claudius. This is different than in the Lion King, because Simba rises to rightful power in the climax, and Hamlet just confirms his suspicions in the climax. In the end, Hamlet resolves to his, Claudius’, Gertrudes, Ophelia, Polonius, Laertes, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, and Late Hamlet’s death, with the throne being given to Fortinbras. Although through comparison and contrast, we can see that The Lion King is not necessarily based off of Hamlet, the importance in the claims that do relate the two, is the idea that there is a relationship anyway. When looking at The Lion King from afar, it’s obvious to point out similarities in basic devices, but the importance for this relation is the respect given to a Shakespearean play that people, who aren’t looking for deeper connections, can give where respect is due.
No story is entirely original. Authors, playwrights, and songwriters all pick and choose elements from stories regardless of whether they intend to or not. Some stories mirror those of the past more similarly than others while adding a fresh, new twist. The Disney movie The Lion King contains many similarities to Shakespeare's play Hamlet, some of which are more obvious than others. Similarities in the character complexes of the three hyenas and Polonius's family, betrayal from Scar and Claudius, and the kingdoms deterioration and resolution are a few examples of the likenesses of the movie and play.
Hamlet and The Lion King shared majority of the themes that were found in each story. A theme of revenge was prominent in both the film and the original play as Simba and Prince Hamlet worked towards avenging their fathers throughout the story. Politics can also be seen in both as the stories explain to the viewer/reader that a bad king can mean a corrupt and equally bad kingdom (murders committed by the new kings). Although some harsh themes, family also seems to be mutual in both tales, more so seen in The Lion King. Shakespeare was able to show the reader the importance of family throughout Hamlet, when there is a power-hungry family member, and the rest of the family must stick together to overcome the struggle. The producers of The Lion King do a similar job as they explain the same thing, however also digging into the loyalty of Sarabi for Mufasa. The reason for a greater theme of positivity in the newer film is due to the demographics. The Lion King was primarily a children’s film, thus it required a simpler and happier tone. This also changes the overall plot by reducing the number of deaths and ruling out madness. This tone also affects the number of comic relief moments in the story. In Hamlet, there were only a few moments in which Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were able to lighten the mood of the play by offering comedic anecdotes. In The Lion
The leading roles in each of the stories had a corresponding role in the other. The corresponding characters shared a number of similarities, but it was the ways in which they were different that determined their fate and that of the kingdom. In Hamlet, the prince is Hamlet. He is in deep grieving of his father’s death. He is angry because he believes that everyone has already forgotten how great of a king his father was. Hamlet does not know for sure who is responsible for his father’s death, but he suspects Claudius who is his uncle and the new king. Hamlet decides that if he can convince everyone that he is insane, then maybe he will be able to get someone to tell him more about his father’s murder. In The Lion King, Simba is the prince. Simba’s father, Mufasa, is killed after he falls from a cliff into a herd of hyenas. Simba falls into a deep depression after his uncle Scar twists things around and convinces Simba that he is the one responsible for the Mufasa’s death. Simba can not deal with what has happened and he runs away from the kingdom.
The Lion King and Hamlet are similar because both dads die, and are different because Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are on Claudius’ side in the play, but Timon and Pumba are on Simba’s side in the movie. Because of Hamlets dad dyeing and he finds out the truth and seeks revenge on Claudius. When Simba found out that his dad died, found out that scar actually killed him, and seeks revenge. Since Simba was walking too slow, I told him to
"I was raped," the girl said to me overtaken with tears. I was taken by surprise and was at a complete loss for words. She had just taken one of the darkest secrets of her life and brought it out to the splendid light for just me to gaze upon. A little apprehensive, I responded, "I'm sorry." What is one to say at the revelation of such a horrid thing? Anything else I thought of saying sounded stupid and insensitive, so I opted for silence and hugged her to comfort her to the best of my ability. A few months later the girl came to me and thanked me. She said that my gesture meant more to her than anything anyone else had said about the rape. I then realized that sometimes, if not most of the time, actions can speak louder than words. The parts of us that are less vocal, such as our clothing, gestures, facial expressions, etc. can be more impacting than words.
“To be or not to be, that is the question.” It is a well-known quote from Hamlet who was created by Shakespeare. William Shakespeare is known as a great poet, playwright, and actor. He had written about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and many other writings (Bevington, 1). He was not only a playwright, but also he was the father of 1,380 characters (Bevington, 2), including Hamlet, Romeo, Juliet, Claudio, Prospero and Henry V. Shakespeare successfully created different characters and each of them had their unique personalities. Most of the well-known characters were not only alive in the plays, but also their characteristics could be found in the reality.
Scar from The Lion King is one of the most well-known villains to appear in a Disney movie. For many people who grew up in the nineties, Scar may have been one of the first antagonists they had seen in fiction. In the film, Scar murders his brother Mufasa and drives his nephew Simba away to assume control over the Pride Lands. By that description, it would be difficult to find any likable qualities in a character like Scar. However, nearly 400 years before the release of The Lion King, William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. The antagonist of this play was King Claudius, Hamlet 's uncle. Claudius not only murdered his brother to take control of the throne, but he also marries his brother 's widowed wife. The writers of The Lion King took inspiration
The characters in The Lion King closely parallel Hamlet. Simba, the main character in The Lion King, embodies Hamlet, He is the son of the King and rightful heir to the throne. The King of the Pridelands, Mufasa, parallels Hamlet Senior, who is killed by the uncle figure. In The Lion King, the uncle is Scar, and in Hamlet, the uncle figure is Claudius. Laertes, the henchman and right-hand man of Claudius, becomes, in the movie, the Hyenas, Bansai, Shenzi, and Ed. The Hyenas collectively act as hero-worshippers to Scar, loyal subjects, and fellow doers-in-evil. They support Scar completely, just as Laertes supports Claudius. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are the comic reliefs of Hamlet, and in The Lion King, this role is fulfilled by Timon and Pumbaa, who are a meercat and warthog, respectively. Both sets compliment each other, complete each other's sentences, act as caretakers to Hamlet/Simba, and are comical to the point of being farcical. The role of Horatio, Hamlet's right-hand man, is fulfilled in The Lion King by Nala. Nala concentrates on the aspect that Simba is the rightful King and that it is his responsibility to ascend to the throne. She is his best friend and someone whom he trusts. Just as Horatio loyally follows Hamlet, Nala is completely loyal to Simba. Not only are there ties of friendship, but there is also an element of respect and reverence in both friendships. Horatio and Nala both know that they are friends and loyal followers of the rightful king.
Hamlet and Lion king are similar because in both Brothers want to kill the king to take the throne. In act 1 scene 5 the ghost told hamlet to kill Claudius for what he did to him. Oh, my offence is rank.it smells to heaven. It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t, a brother’s murder. Shakespeare Act 3 Scene 3 (42- 44) It shows that both in the Lion King and Hamlet that brothers kill each other for power. Though Scar kills Mufasa by throwing him off a cliff. “Scar help me. Long live the king brother” Disney. It shows that in both movie and play that the brothers king kills to become king. In both play and movie they kill for the throne and power because of their selfish emotions.
Like Hamlet, Laertes is a son confronted with a father's death, but Laertes' revenge for his father was more personal and he could care less about the consequences of his actions.
Walt Disney’s The Lion King manages to put on a façade of revenge and responsibility by retelling the story of Hamlet by William Shakespeare through a children’s perspective. At first glance, The Lion King looks like another children’s film with its plethora of talking cartoon animals, goofy songs, and jokes but, with the overarching themes of revenge and responsibility playing a major factor in the movie, the comparison to Shakespeare’s most memorable play, Hamlet: Prince of Denmark isn’t unexpected. It might be hard to imagine Shakespeare’s mature themes and complex characters being put successfully put into a children’s film without completely ruining the meaning the original work but Disney does it very eloquently. Both Hamlet and The Lion King share similar characters, plots and themes and the influence of Hamlet on The Lion King is evident throughout the entire movie. Although both works are very similar, they are also different in many ways.
Michael Almereyda’s movie adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet brings about a new perspective through its performance. The movie adaptation, Hamlet (2000), retells the original play in a modernized setting, bringing out various different elements of characters, which highlights a new reading of these characters as individuals, and a newfangled reading of the play as well. Throughout the movie, Ophelia and Gertrude, the woman-leads, are advanced in a progressive manner compared to the original play. In particular, Gertrude from Hamlet (2000) is noticeably altered from Hamlet, the play. This new interpretation of Gertrude and the play created by the movie adaptation advances the position of Gertrude as a woman, as well as motifs of incest, misogyny,
The Shakesperience report has taught me many things throughout the school year. Some of the many things I have accomplished so far during the Shakespeare report are learning about Shakespeare and his life, reading three fantastic Shakespeare plays (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet), learning about each protagonist and antagonist from the plays, comparing and contrasting each theme to one another, and discussing the roles of fate and destiny. I am writing this letter to compare and contrast each of the three plays to one another.
It is often said that the easiest way to drive a person mad is to leave them alone with nothing but their thoughts. When one overthinks, it can become a toxic habit that can cause more damage than many may realize. Oftentimes, overthinking a situation can lead to serious emotional distress and can lead to the inability to make decisions quickly and effectively. In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Hamlet is a thinker rather than a man of action. Hamlet’s inclination to think about every situation is proven by his multiple soliloquys throughout the entire play. Throughout these numerous moments of thought and contemplation, Hamlet is unable to make decisions confidently and, consequently, is hesitant to follow through with his initial intentions. Hamlet is unable to take swift revenge on Claudius because of his constant need to overthink.
The Lion King and hamlet have very similar characters. At first you might not see the references but there definitely there. Both the families are royalty and the main character is the prince hair to the throne. In both movies there is a so called evil uncle of the main character that kills his brother the king. In the Lion King its scar and in hamlet its